Just One
by Miller0259
Summary: Glitch has a Theory...C/DG and Glitch/Az
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Happy Fifth day of Fanfiction Christmas!

I have missed Glitch's headspace.

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Glitch had a theory which could not be unproven. It was called the "Or Not" theory. For some reason, it already seemed vaguely familiar, as if he had heard of it somewhere else, but it also felt very new to him, so it must be his. Right?

Regardless, Glitch had a theory. Now it was just a matter of finding someone to share it with.

He carefully leaned all of three inches forward and spoke in what he thought was a whisper.

"Just one kiss!"

DG faltered whilst shuffling a deck of cards, sending a few scattered across the table between them. Her face paled and she looked at him like he had lost his marbles again.

"Excuse me?" Her voice very nearly cracked.

He shook his head and flattened his palms against the table, leaning farther towards her. His eyes were alight with the brilliance of his idea and DG couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety run down her spine. This was not going to end well for her.

"It will put an end to this once and for all!"

DG could feel herself shrink in her seat. Her 'something was wrong' senses were reading off the charts.

"End to what, Glitch!?"

She knew she cared about the man, but really: where the hell was this coming from? They've shared nothing but a close sibling like friendship over the past two years of acquaintance. Surely he didn't suddenly think demanding a kiss was going to get him anywhere. He seemed to have finally caught on to what she was thinking.

"Oh, no no no. Not us!" He flapped a hand between them and then off to the side as if to discard the idea. "Don't be ridiculous." He brushed a hand down the buttons on his shirt nervously. "Well, not necessarily anyway," he muttered under his breath.

DG felt an eyebrow raise on her face and she realized she was tensed and ready to bolt out of her chair at a moment's notice. He scooted his chair forward another inch and replaced his hands on the table.

"I have a theory…that all it would take, for two perfectly happy friends to fall in love with each other, is just one kiss."

The fact that said theory was proposed with absolutely no prompting whatsoever, completely disarmed her. She relaxed her posture as well as her eyebrow so that she was now staring at him as if trying to understand.

"I'm not kissing you, Glitch." She felt the need to be clear. He huffed at her.

"Yes, we've been over that. I wasn't thinking of us when I brought up this theory of mine." He seemed somewhat irritated to have to repeat himself. "Though the theory could indeed apply to us, I was thinking of what Azkadellia and I were discussing the other day." He trailed off at this and tapped his fingers against his chin.

DG waited for him to continue until she realized that he was lost in thought.

"Which was….?" She prompted, failing to keep her impatience in check.

"How to get you and Cain together." He spoke with no hesitation, and it wasn't until he had finished that his eyes went wide before blinking a few times. A sure sign that he had just glitched.

"HOW TO…" DG caught herself before she yelled the rest. "Why in the O.Z. would you be talking about THAT?" She was convinced that her cheeks could not be more flushed if she tried.

"Talking about what?" Glitch questioned cheerfully. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Nice try, Glitch. Now spill it!"

"Spill what?"

She gave him an unimpressed look. His shoulders slumped.

"Fine. Az was thinking out loud about who would be a good match for you-"

"A mirror," DG interrupted without missing a beat. She was absolutely sick of everyone trying to play matchmaker for her. She was 26, not 126, geesh. Even 126 wasn't THAT old in Ozian Annuals.

Glitch tilted his head in admonishment for her outburst, before continuing.

"…and I eventually replied that we didn't have to look any farther than Cain."

"Wha…" He held up a hand before she could interrupt again.

"She was just playing the concerned big sister. If someone really is forced to help you find someone, who better than your sister?" DG was slightly placated. "Aaaaaand even though he's widowed and a little trigger happy…" DG raised her eyebrow again. He hesitated briefly. "…and tense and all around bottled up, does NOT mean he's incapable of love." He gestured towards herself. "And I have just realized that all it would take for that great capacity to love to be freed is one little kiss."

DG looked skeptical.

"From me." She sounded skeptical too.

Glitch nodded enthusiastically.

DG considered this. One kiss? On her close friend's lips? An image of him wrapping his arms around her and sweeping her into a passionate embrace immediately engulfed her thoughts. It was just as quickly replaced with all of the negative things she knew about him.

DG's brain skittered to a halt. Negative things? Negative things, negative things… Surely there was something more negative than calling her kiddo.

Oh crap.

"So let me get this straight. You think that Cain is perfect for me because he might be capable of loving if I suddenly go up and kiss him?"

He liked country music, was overly protective, and didn't like machinery. Her brain breathed a mental sigh of relief. Those were three pretty good negative things.

"Well not just that, of course. He's also loyal and protective of those he cares about. And despite his gruffness, he does have a certain soft spot for children." He tapped the table in front of her. "You've seen him with Jeb's soon-to-be son-in-law." DG disliked Ambrose's look of triumph. "Tell me you haven't thought about being with him!" Glitch looked at her imploringly. "Surely you've at least considered it?"

He did have that awful way of being a knight in shining armor. Even though he claimed to be annoyed with them, he had stuck around her, Glitch and Raw. Every time he left, he always managed to swoop back in right when things were about to head South for them. And even though he absolutely hated parties, crowded with people, he always showed up. And more often than not, despite telling her that he had refused his invitation. He always got her out of most of her meetings that she abhorred so much too.

"We're just close friends, Glitch. Nothing more."

So of course she had considered it. She just hadn't allowed herself to dwell on it, because…well…they were both coming from two very different walks of life. And he had lost his wife. Not something that was quickly dismissed. And it was just easier to be single and good friends. Less complicated.

"You do realize," she continued after his skeptical look. "That the reverse could also result from just one kiss?" Glitch's brow furrowed. "All it would take to wreck one relationship is one person having feelings and the other not and then if they kissed, where would they be?"

"Is that why you haven't kissed him?"

"Nice try."

"I bet it is. You're too worried that he'll reject you."

"That's not it at all!"

"So YOU don't have feelings for him?"

"I don't think there are any romantic feelings on either side!"

"Care to place a wager on that?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Well if you think I might be right I can understand not wanting to bet on yourself."

"Fine. What's the wager?"

"You kiss Cain, or tell everyone I'm right."

"And risk pushing Cain away? I'm not seeing my upside in all of this."

"You get to tell everyone I'm wrong?"

"And…."

"And…?"

"And you try your own damn theory out." She saw Glitch hesitate. "On Azkadellia."

He paled.

"Deal is off."

She pointed a finger at him.

"I KNEW IT!" She crowed triumphantly. "You came up with all of this to try and get Azkadellia to kiss you!" She stood and pointed at him. "You so totally want that one kiss!"

Glitch shushed her and motioned frantically for her to sit back down, presumably so their conversation would stop getting louder.

"ShhhhhHHHHH! Would you not _shout_ that!?" He muttered through his clenched jaw. DG couldn't wipe the grin off of her face even if she tried.

"How long has this been going on, Glitch?" She suppressed a squeal of delight. The two of them would be positively adorable together.

Glitch suddenly looked miserable. He knew he had just been roped into 'girl talk.' He pressed a palm to his forehead, before running it back over his dark curls that still refused to be tamed, especially after growing in around where the zipper used to be.

"Fine." He sighed in defeat. He failed miserably at keeping his eyes on hers. "It's just that every conversation we seem to have we realize that we're more and more perfect for each other and yet we never move on past anything more than amiable conversation!" DG gave him a sympathetic look. He needed a hug. "And I keep thinking how easy it would be to be in a relationship with her, but I have no idea how to get there. Just that all it would take is just one kiss, but I can't figure out the ideal situation to bring it up."

Despite the butterflies in her stomach on Glitch's behalf, DG was alarmingly aware of the similarities in her own thought process when it came to relationships. The flirting and getting along was easy, but getting that first step being in a relationship out of the way was always hard. She fleetingly thought of a long dark car ride home with…

DG waved a hand in dismissal.

"Just kiss her Glitch! It would be way easier to ask for Azkadellia's forgiveness than her permission." Glitch's brow furrowed and he tilted his head in doubt. "In this situation anyway." She pointed a finger at him. "I'm not giving you a free pass to do whatever the hell you want with her. You break her heart, and I'll break you."

"I would never." Glitch looked abashed.

"Then I will never." DG nodded and picked up the cards again.

"But what about you and Cain?"

She huffed and gave him a look.

"Look. Glitch. Your theory may work for certain situations, but I really don't think it can be applied to just anyone. I seriously doubt that just because a girl kisses a boy, the boy will magically fall in love with her. That's just naïve."

Glitch considered this.

"Then my wager is still on the table." She tilted her head. "I still think my theory is true. So I will kiss Azkadellia." He hesitated. "Eventually." DG smirked. "And since you are so convinced I'm wrong, you can try and prove it by kissing Cain."

"You want me to willingly destroy my relationship with Cain?" That would be so not cool.

"No. If you don't have feelings for him, and he doesn't have feelings for you, and your friendship is as strong as you say it is, you won't be destroying it."

Crap.

Refusing would mean her admitting that there was something to either his theory or her relationship with Cain.

Crap crap crap.

"And you're really going to kiss Azkadellia." She had absolutely no doubt that Glitch will be a nervous wreck around Az any time he sees her after this. The chance to see Glitch hovering anxiously around Az to find the perfect time to kiss her was too good to pass up. It will drive Az completely insane trying to figure out what his problem is.

He gulped, before nodding.

She thrust out her hand.

"Deal."

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A/N: I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! The muse seems to be feeling…fluffy.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Happy Sixth day of Fanfiction Christmas 2K16!

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Glitch had a theory which could not be unproven. It was called the "Or Not" theory. For some reason, this thought process felt familiar. Hadn't he already discussed this with someone?

Oh right, the bet.

He was still struggling to come up with an ideal situation to just 'lay one on her' as DG so often instructed him as of late. He felt maybe some sort of precursory conversation might help erase the element of surprise.

He leaned over slightly and stated, in what he thought was a whisper.

"Just one kiss!"

Az started so badly she spilled some of her tea onto her saucer.

"I beg your pardon!?" Her normally composed face showed her shock and confusion, as well as a fresh flush on her cheeks.

Glitch's brow furrowed and he chanced a glance across the room where DG and Cain had stopped talking and were looking at them. Cain had stopped shuffling the deck of cards in his hands and just gave him a look like, 'Seriously? THAT was your opening line?' While DG's eyes were narrowed into a glare aimed back at Glitch.

"Not that crap again, Glitch!"

He immediately bristled.

"It is not _crap_ , DG. It is a proven fact!" He was sure, that if he were standing, he might as well have stamped his foot to go along with his childish sounding rebuttal.

"It is _not_ proven!" She sounded exasperated and they had barely begun arguing this time.

"Well _that's_ because you are too chicken to present your proof!"

DG blushed and barely flicked a glance at Cain before glaring at him again.

"I am _not_ ," she began firmly, "going to kiss someone just to prove a point."

Now it was Cain's turn to start. He had begun shuffling the cards again seeing as how they argued like this on a regular basis, but suddenly sent a few cards shooting across the table.

"What now?" His gruff, nothing-gets-to-me tone vanished and Glitch swore he sounded almost defensive.

DG sighed and turned to Cain with a put upon look.

"Glitch here," she said, motioning to him, "thinks that there is no such thing as a strong friendship between a man and a woman without having some sort of romantic aspect involved." She rolled her eyes. "Clearly he must think our own friendship is dysfunctional or something."

Cain and Az shared a look, but it was Azkadellia who spoke.

"What if that was Glitch's way of saying he likes you?" She seemed rather put out when stating this, but Glitch didn't get a chance to wonder about it.

DG started giggling and it was Glitch's turn to blush and avoid a certain pair of eyes.

"Because I _know_ who he likes, and it is most definitely not me." She turned to share a grin with Cain as if he knew too, but noticed he was still looking somewhat on edge. She wiped the smile off of her face and turned back to Azkadellia. "Besides. _I_ have no interest in him." She glanced at Glitch. "No offense." He waved her off. "Because while I _am_ close with Glitch, Ambrose and I fight like cats and dogs, and I think it's sort of a requirement to get along with someone's ENTIRE personality for it to count as a strong relationship…"

" _I_ get along with both Glitch and Ambrose," came Azkadellia's mumbled reply.

DG's smile was a cross between serene and smug.

"I know."

Glitch quickly changed the subject.

"I still think there is something romantic between every set of friends comprising of a male and a female."

"Oh for the love of-" DG cut herself off from swearing and stood up. She stepped halfway around the table, leaned down towards an alarmed Tin Man, and grabbed his collar pulling his face closer to hers. She pressed her lips to his and just as quickly as it had started, it was over. She was straightening up, and turning back to Glitch. "See?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "We're not spontaneously combusting or anything. We're still just two people trying to play cards. Now will you PLEASE leave me out of this?"

Glitch was frowning at her. Azkadellia was looking between her and Cain with her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Huh…" he muttered finally. "I thought for sure there was something to this theory…"

"Well, Glitch, that's the beauty of research." She walked over to him and held out a hand. "You need to get more than one piece of evidence." She pulled him up out of his chair. "Perhaps you can go about collecting more of it now." They were halfway to the door before he realized she was kicking him out. "I even bet that Azkadellia can help you find more people to test."

He looked at her, stricken, and she just smiled wickedly.

"Happy hunting, Glitch!" She said cheerfully as she slammed the door in his face. He stared at the door, stunned. A few seconds later the door opened again and a confused Azkadellia joined him in the hallway.

"Erm…hi…" he mumbled.

Perhaps he should revise his theory after all…Oh! Azkadellia could help him!

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A/N: Sorry this one is so short! And yet...the fallout is next! :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Happy Seventh Day of Fanfic-mas!

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DG let out a sigh of relief once they were gone. Now she could do damage control. She didn't have to look at him though, right? She was still trying to ignore the way he had looked at her as she pulled away and the tingles that ran up and down her spine. It was just embarrassment she was feeling, right?

"Look, I'm sorry I used you to prove Glitch wrong." She didn't even get a chance to hold her breath for his answer.

"That wasn't a real kiss." Her startled eyes met his before she could stop herself. His face was inexplicably neutral as he stood from the card table. "For the record," he added, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he looked down.

"And here I thought you'd be pissed," she said, breathing a laugh as she walked back towards him.

"Oh, I'm mad," he assured her. He looked like he wanted to say something else as she slowed to a stop. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her before looking away again. "But mainly my gears are spinning. Trying to figure out what in the zone could have possibly made you want to do that." DG looked down, ashamed.

"What difference does the 'why' make? It didn't mean anything because we're just friends."

He stepped closer.

"Just friends."

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. His tone was skeptical.

"That's right. That's what Glitch and I were arguing about: when two people are friends… one kiss doesn't make or break a friendship."

He glanced down at her lips and then back up to her eyes.

"Like I said: it wasn't a real kiss."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Then what constitutes as a real kiss to you?"

He blinked at her, not expecting her to fire back at him. He hesitated before finally replying.

"One Central City…Two Central City…" he began counting before holding up his whole hand. "Five Central Cities." Her eyes widened.

"FIVE!? What are you buying me dinner first? Three."

"This was your bet, not mine. Four."

She made a strangled noise.

"Fine." She tried her best not to stomp her foot.

"Fine."

She huffed and looked at the floor for a second before she realized what they just agreed to. Then she looked up at him slowly and decided that she needed to act fast before she chickened out. Just plant one on him, hold it for four freaking 'Central Cities', and then back away. That's all she had to do.

She stepped up to him, grabbing the front of his shirt again to pull him towards her, and wrapped her left arm around his shoulders as her lips pressed to his. His right arm wrapped around her waist, and his left hand ran up her spine, threading through her hair to hold the back of her neck, and hold her in place.

One Central City.

His lips moved against hers and the tingle down her spine returned.

Two Central City.

She barely held in a whimper and her lips responded to his before she could stop them. The arm around her waist tightened.

Three Central City.

His lips moved against hers more insistently and she felt herself melting against him. The fist holding his shirt began to loosen.

Four Central City.

Her hand slid down his chest to wrap around his back. She felt his tongue brush against her lips and as she responded in kind.

He moaned and changed the angle of the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers all the while. They were both holding each other so close and yet it was not enough.

His hands began to slide up and down her body and she realized belatedly that he was turning them and pushing her back a step. She bumped against the card table and then his hips were pressing against hers and she broke the kiss and gasped.

Eight Central City.

They stared at each other for several long moments before either of them could speak. They were both breathing heavily and he was still really close to her. Too close. And looking at her like-. You know what? It didn't matter.

"See?" She asked breathlessly. "Completely platonic." She halfheartedly pushed him away.

"Oh absolutely," he agreed, before leaning in and claiming her lips with his once more. She moaned and grasped at his shoulders as she returned the kiss as best as she could. "Completely platonic," he muttered between kisses.

Her last coherent thought for a while was wondering if she should thank or curse Glitch.

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A/N: My muse is getting confused working on so many stories at once. It almost forgot this story was rated T...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Happy Eleventh day of Fanfiction Christmas! I hope you've enjoyed me spamming your email for 11 days straight! I promise there's just one more day…for now…

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Glitch had a theory…that he could feel someone watching him. But he was busy concentrating on…on something. What was it again? Wait, who was watching him?

"Ambrose?" A sweet voice broke his reverie. He whipped around and found himself breaking into a smile.

"Azkadellia! When did you get here?" He asked cheerfully.

She frowned at him, looking concerned.

"You've been thinking hard in silence for the better part of ten minutes. I believe you were, um…glitching…again," she mumbled the last part.

"Oh was I? My apologies. I was thinking about…uh…my theory again."

"The kissing theory?"

"Yes! That's the one." He frowned. "Although I think it needs some work…"

She tilted her head at him.

"Are you referring to what happened with DG and Wyatt?"

"Yes!" he replied emphatically. "I thought for sure they only needed one kiss to set them off. It would appear that they may be an exception to the rule after all. I wonder what happened after we left."

"Oh to be a fly on the wall in that room," Az said wistfully.

"Do you think they're fighting?"

"Are you kidding? I very much doubt they've stopped kissing since!"

"Really! Do you think so?" Glitch patted his knee happily. "I shall have to follow up with them."

"Come now, Glitch, you've met DG. She will hardly want to admit it to you right away." He hmmm'd in agreement. "We'll have to catch them in the act if you want the truth anytime soon." Glitch frowned. Something about Azkadellia's tone unsettled him. This would not bode well for him. "We should go wait outside the door."

He hmmm'd in disagreement.

"I'd rather not be shot, thank you all the same."

She laughed lightly and his stomach flip flopped. She stood and held a hand to him.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

He stared at her awestruck for a moment before he took her outstretched hand hesitantly and let her pull him from his chair. They quickly made it back to the hall that Glitch was so rudely escorted into earlier. He took stock of the situation.

"The door is still closed…hmmm…"

He pressed an ear against it, but couldn't make out any sounds. He thought he might have heard cards, but it didn't sound quite like shuffling. More like them scattering on the floor, come to think of it. He looked at the bottom of the door. He was about to stoop and look through the crack when he saw that the light showing beneath it changed when a shadow in the room moved.

He reared back in alarm, thinking someone may be coming to the door he grabbed Azkadellia by the elbow and quickly ushered her across the hall to a broom closet. He let her duck inside before following her and closing the door behind him.

"Ouch!" she squeaked as he tripped over her feet in the dark.

He slammed his hand against the wall to steady himself.

"Sorry!" he said quite loudly.

"Shhhh!" she hissed at him in his ear. When she let out a breath, it caressed his neck, making his hair stand on end. He must have nearly headbutted her given how close her face seemed to be to his. Where was the blasted light switch?

"Apologies," he whispered, and he heard her go still.

There was a long silence before he realized he should take action.

He raised the hand not steadying him against the wall to feel for a switch. He found the door to his right and noted that it wasn't near the doorjamb. He slid his hand further along the wall. It brushed up against something warm and soft. Azkadellia gasped, jolting away from the wall and into his chest.

"Oh!"

"Oh I'm sorry, Azkadee," his hands instinctually wrapped around her back to steady her. "I was just feeling for the light switch!"

"Right. Of course." Her voice sounded strained. Her hands were pressed against his chest and she was working the calm her breathing again. "The light switch…" Now it sounded distracted.

Come to think of it HE was distracted.

"Mmmhmm…"

Her hands were slowly sliding up his chest and cupping either side of his face. Then the softest pair of lips that he had ever felt pressed against his.

He made a tone of surprise before his hands automatically contracted behind her, bunching the fabric of her dress in his fingers and bringing her closer all at once. She moved her lips against his to better capture his bottom lip and he moaned. He began to respond to her kisses, and she leaned into him further. His tongue began dueling with hers, and she must have kept leaning into him because he was being pressed up against the wall and the light switch behind him was tripped.

He broke the kiss and blinked in astonishment. He quickly tried to catch his breath as they briefly looked at their surroundings. Eventually their eyes found each other and it was a long moment before his brain kicked in again.

"Oh! Azkadellia!" He shook his head slightly. "Would now be an appropriate time for some follow up questions?" he asked cheerfully.

Her eyes searched his for a long moment, a slow smile spreading across her face. Then she kissed him again. A star exploding, temperature rising, all encompassing, mind melting kiss. When she released him he stared at her, a dazed look on his face.

"Or not," he muttered before turning off the light again and wrapping her in his arms again so that he could return the favor.

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A/N: Aaggghhhh. I don't know how to write without DG or Cain in the scene. Why was this so difficult!?

Anyway. That's a wrap, folks! I hope you enjoyed the random sampling of fluff that this story became. Thank you for reading!


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